Paxton Kelso's dad, Larry, has built a name for himself in commercial real estate brokerage circles here in Dallas.  And Larry's been associated with the best, including the prestigious firms of Ebby Halliday and Roger Staubach. 

I spent many Sundays after church at Larry's grandfather's summer home on Offats Bayou in Galveston.  His name was Walter A. Kelso.  And Larry's father Rai and I were lifelong friends.

Good grief, it just occurred to me, I remember when Larry was born.

Larry emailed me awhile back and asked me to meet his son, Paxton, whom I didn't know.  Since Paxton and I are both trying to build our personal businesses here in Dallas, Larry thought we might be able to cross-collateralize our contacts and help each other. 

So Paxton called and we met at a Starbucks near his office.  He's a financial representative for Northwestern Mutual. 

And his job, as he sees it, is to guide young people so that they are totally prepared to financially meet the Eventuality Chapters along the way -- educating their children, being prepared for emergencies, and being financially secure when retirement comes along.

That's a tall burden to put on yourself, because most young people aren't disciplined enough to follow a financial plan, and to make matters worse, Paxton is competing with many others who are pushing their products - some good, some bad.

So when Paxton and I finished our getting-to-know-each-other-chit-chat, I started seriously quizzing him to see if he was actually prepared to evaluate clients' financial patterns, and deliver them recommendations that could, with discipline, meet their goals.

Remember, I went to graduate school to learn this stuff.  I've taught it in one university and one community college, and have written about it for years, including one piece for "Fortune Magazine."

Paxton easily met my test. 

You see, contrary to what it's considered cool to say:  1) Buy term and invest the difference and 2) annuities are inappropriate investments, the facts are that most people fair much better when they buy permanent insurance (whole life and universal life) and when they convert a good portion of their savings to some annuity-certain products when they retire.

And people who are virtually self-employed and work on commission like us Realtors, are especially likely to put off making the necessary preparations.

Financial planning requires a very delicate balance of products so that a person won't outlive his money or have to compromise his dignity. 

For young people just starting out, Paxton Kelso is especially good at zeroing in on the tailored plan they'll need to meet their goals.  You can get in touch with him at 972 980-2014 or by email at paxton.kelso@nmfn.com

Bill Cherry, Realtors